up next to his head to terrify him that he was going to be killed. a mock execution was staged next to a prisoner included firing a gun in that room so that another prisoner would suggest that another prisoner had just been killed. joining us with this exclusive report is msnbc contributor and "newsweek" investigative correspondent mike isokoff. your sources are describing what are in this report. how confident are you that it's going to come out this monday? >> i'm pretty confident. this report has been delayed four times. the release of this has been driven by the aclu's freedom of information act lawsuit, the cia and justice department has been under directive from the federal judge to release the report. they were going to two or three

times before they asked for delays. this is the deadline. monday is the deadline. and all expectations are that, a, declassified version of the report will be released on monday. it will still contain redactions, about half of the report, i'm told, will still be redakted. but what is in the half that is going to be publicly released is going to be pretty explosive. >> the context here is critical. and, you know, we've seen these memos from john yu and other bush administration lawyers per po purporting to okay what other people find torture techniques like water boarding and sleep depravation. but nobody even purported to legally okay mock executions, did they? >> right. no. that's exactly the point. that's why some of these passages are so significant. and the story that i just posted with my colleague, we wrostory

together. we document that there are passages in the report that talk about these techniques, mock executions, threatening a detainee with death that clearly seem to go beyond the justice department legal authorizations. and that's why these are so significant. the federal torture law does forbid anybody, any government official or anybody frels threatening somebody with imminent death. that's how torture is defined in the law. so, you know, people will be asking how can a mock execution, shooting a gun off in a room next to a detainee, cocking a gun, brandishing it in his face, getting a power drill out be any judge -- judged anything other than seeming to threaten that detainee with death? >> the allegation about this prisoner threatened with death, a gun and power drill and all of this, was that one of the interrogations that was

videotaped by the cia? it is possible that there is a tape here? >> excellent question. but the detainee who that happened to is accused of abeing one of the architects of the uss cole bomber. he was water boarded. but also he is one of the two detainees whose videotapes were destroyed by cia -- by the cia after this report came out. this report came out in may 2004. the next year as more and moore attention about the cia interrogation program started to get -- be picked up on the media, the cia in november of 2005 destroyed the videotapes of the interrogation of this man and others. that destruction has been under investigation by a federal prosecutor for over a year. a special prosecutor pointed by former attorney general michael

mukasey. >> as we talked about on this show before, at least the reporting we've seen on this so far, says that it includes mention of eight criminal cases of homicide and abuse and misconduct that will reportedly refer to the justice department because of this investigation. these cases, as we know, basically languished. now that report is going to come out do, you that i something is going to be done one way or another on these cases? >> well, what we do expect, as we reported before at "newsweek" and discussed on this show, attorney general holder is close, poised to appoint a prosecutor. some senior prosecutor in the justice department to review all of these cases and determine if there's grounds for further criminal prosecution. and this is going to be a very significant step. what justice department people say is they're going to be looking at our interrogations, action that's went beyond what was the legal authorization in those justice department memos. so this in a here issy stuff would seem to fit that bill.

we could learn about holder's decision on in a very shortly after that report comes out on monday. >> one of the other things i'm going to be looking for, of course, based on what we heard about this is whether or not there is discussion about people who were killed, people that died in custody but we're going to have to wait and see what is in this. michael isikof for "newsweek" magazine has a piece up with his colleague at "newsweek".com right now which is the most advanced reporting i've seen on this subject by far. i'm sure we'll have plenty more to talk about this monday after it comes out if, it comes out, mike. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> the president today stopped keeping his cards quite so close to the vest about his plans for health care. in fact, judging by the white house statement today, the president is playing a game that looks a lot less like poker and a lot more like 52-card pickup. this is turning into a big mess. that's next. applebee's 2 for $20!

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the white house stated to day that president obama is willing to sink his entire presidency on whether or not he's able to achieve something that nearly every president since truman has tried to achieve and failed. here is robert gibbs, white house press secretary speaking this afternoon about the president's feelings on health care. >> i have heard the president say that it's making tough decisions and getting the important things done that washington has failed to deal with for decades means that he

only lives in this house and makes those decisions for four years, he's quite comfortable with that. >> so if getting health reform done means it's one term and out for president obama, according to the white house, that is fine by the president. mr. gibbs in that same briefing also repeating that it is the president's goal that health reform be bipartisan. how is that bipartisan effort coming along? how many republicans are onboard for health reform right now? well, there is no one better than to ask than the republican whip in the senate, john kyle of arizona. the whip is the person in charge of counting votes, making sure that legislators vote the way the party wants them to. so it's john kyle who is keeping track of how many republicans will vote for health reform. senator kyle, how many republicans you got onboard so far? >> for either the bill that has passed the house committee or the bill that's passed the health committee in the senate, i don't think a single republican in the senate would support either of those bills.

>> not a single republican. so that would be zero. yea bipartisanship. the bottle neck is the gang of six inside the senate finance committee f these three republicans and three democrats who are supposedly going to come up with a compromise bill that they can move forward in a bipartisan way. two of the three republicans in the gang of six have frankly taken themselves completely out of the realm of negotiations on this. senators mike enzy and chuck grassley say it should take 80 votes to pass health reform in the senate. 80 votes. new rule. even beyond that, senator grassley has spent his summer vacation warning that the legislation on the table right now is about to pull the plug on your grandmother. the chances of mr. enzi and mr. grassley voting for any major health reform seem right now to be less likely than me catching an orka on my rod and reel this weekend. now the one hope for a republican who might really be willing to reach across the

ideological divide has been republican senator olympia snow of maine. she is the other republican in the gang of six besides grassley and enzi. senator snow had this progress report earlier today. >> we have not had the public option on the table. it's been addressing afford arment a affordability and manageability in the table. >> no public option on the table. not on the table. since the white house has been reiterating all week long how much the president wants a public option for insurance in the bill, i can't wait to hear the white house reaction to that. they're not even considering it. >> well, that's democracy, isn't it? >> you have folks that come from all different speck trumz trying to get something done. >> wait. that's democracy? the president says he wants public option. three committees in the house have already voted favor of a public option.

the one committee in the senate that already voted voted for a public option. the top democrat on health care in the senate max bachus put in right at the start of the health care fight that he was for the public option. a new poll just out showed 77% of americans support a public option. and, by the way, democrats have 60 seats in the united states senate. but the public option is not even up on the table for discussion anymore. that's democracy? this tiny minority of republicans gets to decide what's in a bill that they basically admit they're never going to vote for anyway? that's democracy? senator bachus admitted that the republican leadership is "doing its upt most to kill this bill." trying to kill the bill, planning on voting against it, all the while somehow persuading democrats to make changes to this bill that the democrats don't purportedly really want to make. this is the character of the republican contribution to the health care debate right now. let's take a 24-hour snapshot of

republican efforts towards bipartisan health reform. the health care reform is a secret plot to kill old people, right? david vitter of louisiana is apparently engaged in his own secret health care plot. instead of reforming health care in this country, senator vitter has a plan to destroy the health care system of canada. at least that's what he said. >> i'm for reimportation not because i want to import price controls, which canada has, you're right. it's because i believe reimportation will cause the pricing system worldwide that the big drug companies exploit to collapse. that system can survive. so my ultimate goal in terms of reimportation is causing that system to collapse. >> yep.

and that happened. this is -- the senator is serious. his contribution to health reform is a secret plot to collapse the canadian health care system by us reimporting their good, cheap prescription drugs. sure we'll bring them to their knees. then there is republican congresswoman michelle bachmann of minnesota. she's encouraging states to succeed from health reform. just like governor rick perry of texas suggested. mrs. bachmann said she is hoping for "some fairly revolutionary action to be taken by these states." revolutionary action. mr. bachmann is using this civil war language all year now. in march, she warned that "a revolution every now and then is a good thing." she also said at the time that she wants her swints "armed and dangerous on the issue of climate change." these latest comments from miss bachmann were made during a

conference call in which she spoke alongside jim demint of south carolina. he's famous in the health reform debate by saying he hopes health reform is president obama's waterloo. yesterday senator demint offered this dire warning did health care -- >> probably the most heartwrenching experiences i've had over the last several days is when naturalized american citizens who have immigrated here from germany, iran and other countries, they come up to me and they say why are we doing what so many have fled from? why don't americans see what we're doing? and i've realized that these people who have lived and under socialist type economies and totalitarianism, they know where we're head philadelphia we don't turn things around. >> see, if all americans have health insurance, we'll be just like iran where people flee from the health care. why don't you people see that? jim demint and michelle bachmann

were the two featured speakers on a conference call by a p.r. firm funded by coke industries. the purpose of the conference call was to rally support for nationwide recess rally demonstration that's are scheduled tomorrow across the country. this is the character of the opposition to health reform right now. this is the character of the contribution to bipartisan health care reform that the white house is banking on right now. that the swhowhite house is literally staking president obama's presidency on right now. joining us now is anthony weiner of new york. he sits on the house energy and commerce committee. he pledged to vote no on any legislation that does not include the public option. he is an outspoken supporter of single payer health care. congressman weiner, thank you for coming in. >> thanks for having me. >> you're very good at math. if there are zero republican votes for health care reform, what is the best democrats can

do in terms of policy? what can be done without republicans? >> one thing we have to stop doing is negotiating against ourselves. i mean every time i turn on the television find another democrat or even sometimes the president backing away from the basic principles that are going to make health reform work. and we have to stop. that i mean it's pretty clear, and you had this group of members of the house and senate, none of whom are in touch with the mothership, you know, you have these guy who's basically are the problem. there is not a single republican vote that i've seen for the thing. so i think that what we should be doing is trying to figure out what we as democrats who are elected to turn this country around, what we should be thinking of doing. you know, look, we have a majority in the house and senate and the presidency f we're going to keep worshipping at the alter of bipartisanship as an ends rather than a means to get going policy, i don't think we'll be any further down the road. so i wish we would stop that right now. i tell you something else, you had for the longest period of time this gang of six on your screen there. who are these guys? these are not people you would turn to for most policies and certainly not to make health care policy for the country.

and, yet, somehow we've seen it in our interests that democrats to outsource to that group. this is not the most important decisions we're going to make about health care reform. i have to tell you, a lot of my colleagues are not having it. >> what happens if they turn out to be the problem? what if what the gang of six puts sought a bill that's not acceptable to the democratic majority in the house or the senate? do they -- is there a work around for them? >> look, i got to tell you. one thing that this august period has shown us is we as democrats, frankly, can't leave that committee in charge of what's going to come out here. they're getting it wrong just about every single day. what really troubles me is i need the president to make it clear he understand that's. you know, i need him to say, look, we're watching the direction this kms is going. we wanted the senate finance committee to be a part of. this they're going in the wrong direction and going away from single payer and away from public option. and so we're basically going to say we don't care with them much anymore. we'll go to the full house and senate. we have to get something else, 80, 60, 75, try to get what we

can from the majority of the house and senate. we're going to go through the process called reconciliation that allows 51 votes? the senate. let's use it and try to get the best we can. >> in the house, nancy pelosi reaffirmed her commitment to the public option. if she can't get something passed through the house that doesn't have a public option in it, the number two democrat in the house, steny hoyer singing a different tune saying i'm for a public option but i'm also for passing a bill. frankly, samuel whatley on the issue, where does the house snand where do democrats stand? >> you know, generally speaking, choosing between something and nothing, i choose something. but we have to get something worth while. i think after going through what we've gone through, if nothing else, we terurned people on to e idea of, look, we have to sol of this problem. if we start with something so watered down, i don't think that is a legacy that never mind president obama but congressman weaner is not going to want to run on. i think it's not enough to say, hey, we'll get something.

i think we now have stepped forward into the breech. i think president obama deserves a lot of credit. he is taking a lot of heat here. and now we should go do the right thing. nancy pelosi, she can count. she understands they don't have the votes right now if they strip out the public option. i'm not kidding myself. we may not have it with the public option. at least we have the best chance. >> no public option in the bill. you're going to vote no? >> i don't see any way that we control costs if we don't. i think my push to get a single payer plan through the house probably has as many votes as anything right now. more and more people are kind of coming to the plate. look, why are we walking away from our base principles? we in the last few years have done two things. one, we extended insurance for children. question that through a single payer system in medicaid. the other is we extended medicare part b which we gave a trillion dollars to insurance companies to do the best they can. we know it works. we know that when democrats extend, we do the right thing and republicans in med car part -- medicare part dst, we screwed it up.

>> building on what works gets you closer to a single payer argument. congressman anthony weiner of new york, thank you for spending part of your friday night with us. >> a regular friday thing. i appreciate it. >> we can make this a regular gig. thanks. >> so the conspiracy theory that health care reform is a secret plot to kill old people was birthed if, you will, by a woman named betsy mccoy. while she was on the board of a medical supply company. then she did an extended interview on "the daily show with jon stewart" about that conspiracy theory and now her life is different. we'll tell you how right after the break. but first, one more thing about republican congresswoman michelle bachmann of the off the cook end caucus, she is also famously anti-abortion. not only is congresswoman bachmann encouraging states to succeed from health care reform, her other contribution to political zors this week -- i'll just let her speak for herself. >> people have to continue to go to the town halls, continue to

melt the faphone lines and let them know under no certain circumstances will i give the government control over my body and my health care decisions. >> government control over -- who whose body? achoo!

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coming up, the cash for clufr

clunkers car trade in program is so wildly successful that it's ending on monday. is there any way to stop the stopping of this program that's working? and we have a moment of geek tonight that involves bicycle technology and incredibly strong muscles in places where i didn't know men could have incredibly strong muscle. and our kent jones is here with the week in review. that's all coming up. but we begin with one big holding story in today's news. when politics gets crazy, when political debate zardz tdiscard the facts, those of white house make a living talking about the news sometimes have a little bit of a dlilemma. to represent the character of a political debate, you have to point it out if someone in that deep is making stuff up or if they don't appear to understand what they're saying. in order to give an accurate portrayal of what's going on. it's important to point out when people are lying. the dilemma is that even negative attention is still attention. the time it takes on a tv show like this one to point out that someone is a liar is national

media attention being devoted to a liar. a liar who probably is lofrg at tension and therefore is being rewarded for their lying. it's a dilemma. but is the dilemma that can be solved. >> did you see betsy mccaughey on the daily show last night? as we reported, betsy mccaughey is responsible for the conspiracy theory of the american people to create living wills is now somehow now it's a secret plot to kill old people. metsy mccaughey started this conspiracy thory. she is the typhoid mary. she is the angel of deathers. and last night john stewart on "the daily show" braved the risk of giving betsy mccaughey a bigger platform than she ever had before, bigger than the op-ed page of rupert murdoch's

new york post and the magazine had to apologize for after the fact. john stewart braved giving the angel of deathers a big stage on which to propound her nonsense views that scare old people. he braved it so he could totally, utterly, thoroughly discredit her over two entire segments of his 30-minute show and another 10 minutes online. it was a public service, really. >> it seems like this bill is allowing people more control over their lives and your reading of it is hyperbolic and in some cases dangerous. >> in fact this provision is so dangerous -- >> i know. >> i just want -- >> this proifction is so dangerous that systemic finance committee already ripped it out of its draft. >> it's not because it's so dangerous, it's because people so lost their. [ beep ] about it. >> no.

no. >> the misinformation that was put out there. look, we can argue about whether or not it's a slippery slope to certain things. but there is absolutely nothing in that reading that says this is a mandatory consultation and that -- >> you know, john -- >> honestly. >> you're wrong. >> all right. then show me where it says it. >> i told you, it's on page 432. >> well get it. >> all right. i'm looking for page 432. someone took page 432. it's right here. ♪ let me just read it very quickly. in general, for purposes of reporting data on quality measures for covered professional services, the

secretary shall include quality members on end of life planning adopted or endorsed by consensus base organization if appropriate, such measures shall measure the creation of an adherence to orders for life sustaining treatment. >> that's right. and what's wrong about this, it's one thing to pay doctors to spend time with their patients discussing this issue. i'm not against this. but putting pressure on doctors to require patients to go through a consultation that's prescribed by the government and then penalize them -- wait a second. and then to penalize them if the patient or their family changes their minds about their living will in a moment of crisis, that's really wrong. >> it would be really wrong if that was in any way what this says. but that is not in any way what this says. >> okay, look, you know what? >> let me take this out. because you clearly don't need it. rip, rip.

such measures shall measure the creation of adherence to orders for life sustaining treatment. life sustaining -- >> a $500 billion cut for medicare is going to mean seniors won't be able to get knee replacements and hip replacements. they're not going to be able to get bypass surgery when their breathless from clogged arteries. over the last 40 years medicare -- >> let me -- >> transformed the aging for elderly. this is a cruel thing. >> it is a cruel thing if what they're saying is we're going to save money by making sure people can't get hip replacements. i understand. that but that is not in any way what they're proposing. medicine is a science-based thing. they're trying to compile data about treatments that work best and those types of things. nobody is suggesting that old people will not be able to get new hips and hearts. >> oh, yes they are. that's exactly what these are going to mean. >> it is not.

what it's going to mean -- you have no evidence of this. >> of course i do. >> where? where? >> so after that happened on "the daily show," a medical supply company of which betsy mccaughey was a paid director announced she would no longer be with the company. i wonder if maybe there is a job for her at freedom works. 100 potato chips or 100 pringles. both cost the same, but only the new pringles superstack can makes everything pop! ♪ same cost but a lot more fun.

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if you're in the market for a new car like certainly mother-in-laws in law i know, i have important news for you. car dealerships are going to be really crowded this weekend. from already -- until just about exactly 8:00 p.m. eastern on monday. because the government has announced that that's when cash for clunkers ends. now as you know, cash for clunkers gives consumers $4500 toward the price of a new car or truck if you trade in an older car with lower gas mileage. the program's been so popular that it's already run out of cash once. after congress funded it a second time, there was hope that the new round of funding might last through labor day. nope. as of monday night, it's out of

money and it's done. so far the program has accounted for nearly a half million vehicle sales. the final talley is expected to be 700,000. the biggest problems with the program have been coping with how much consumers like it. the transportation department hasn't been able to process the reimbursements to dealerships fast enough. the d.o.t. confirmed to us today that they're now tripling the number of workers. they have 1200 people processing claims now. so dealers should be getting their money. and dealers have their own sort of high class problems beyond the huge demand causing delays in the paperwork. so many consumers want to take advantage of the program that dealers haven't been able to keep cars on their lots, particularly the most popular model. as we reported earlier this week, gm says that it's upping the production schedule by tens of thousands of cars for this year to cope with the increased demand from cash for clunkers. that means rehiring more than 1,300 north american employees

to boost production in the third and fourth quarters. it also means overtime checks for more than 10,000 gm workers who have held on to their jobs. ford also announced last week that it will increase production for the last half of the year by 26% over last year's numbers. oh, and hyundai is rehiring, too. and in response to increased demand from cash for clunkers, hyundai says it is now able to return about 3,000 of its employees in alabama to full-time schedules after their hours had been cut last fall. so in sum we have tons of new consumer spending as we're trying to get out of a recession. we've got consumers really happy. we've got car dealers with tons of new business, not to mention the scrap yards for the clunkers. we have less pollution, less gas consumption, workers getting rehired at the auto companies. seems like this is working out kind of great. so why are they ending it? why don't they just extend this thing again? joining us now is hans blotter, president of castle products, a family owned automotive supply business that is also booming

thanks to the cash for clunkers program. they make a product called the clunker bomb that paralyzes the engines of clunkers turned in under the cash for clunkers program. thank you very much for being here. >> thank you for having me. it's great to have all this positive news. >> you know, there is not much positive economic news ever. and this really has been a positive story. >> it's been very fun for our company. >> i got to ask you, though, i can't believe you already have a product good to go called the clunker bomb before this program started. did you make this thing just because of the program? >> well, our people worked hard. actually the cars program, the procedure came out on friday, july 24th about, 11:30 a.m. eastern time it hit the news and our people right away started saying we have to have meetings and come up with a product to help solve this problem that dealerships are going to v we worked diligently all day on friday and into the evening to come up with a product to help

fill the needs of the dealerships across the country. >> tell me how the product works. i know that you take the oil out of the engine, right, and pure this product in in place of the oil. and then you run the engine? >> that's correct. it is basically a 40% sodium solution and what you want to do you is drain the vehicle of its oil and then pour this in and replace the oil and you run the car for seven to ten minutes and then the engine will eventually stop and the engine will be dead. we guarantee to kill the engine dead. >> i understand that you've hired new employees because of the demand for this product because it meets the government's needs in terms of this new program. do you think that you're going to be able to keep these new employees on when the cash for clunkers program ends? >> well, right now we have plans to keep them on. it's really been a great benefit to our company in times of needing some good news and in sm good boosts to the economy. the clunker bomb has helped us open up various doors to

dealerships that we weren't servicing before. and in the various parts of the country that we weren't before. so we're hoping that with the positive news of the clufrpger bo clunker bomb, we can get additional business. >> i know do you work closely with dealerships. a lot of other businesses. obviously this has done wonders for your morale at your company. what can you tell me about the other businesses that you work with and the dealerships? how is their morale and how are they doing because of this program? >> well, i think the morale overall, people want positive news. it's nice to turn the tv on and see the positive news out there. you spoke in the intro about the dealerships running out of cars. showrooms being swamped with people wanting the vehicle and wanting to take advantage of this program. and then the scrap yards, the scrap yards are getting these vehicles. they're getting and sometimes some good vehicles, some good seats, some good doors, lights, et cetera. then they can use and resell to the people that don't qualify for the program. >> i have a feeling i know the answer to this question. but do you wish they'd keep this

program going a while longer? >> we're ready if they want to revamp the program, we're ready to go. >> well, hans blater if, we weren't on satellite, i'd give you a high five. your attitude about this and entrepreneurship that your versatility and your company showed is a business inspiration. so good luck you to, sir. >> thank you very much. i appreciate it. >> i appreciate it as well. thank you. all right, coming up on "countdown," keith's nexus of politics and terror written off by compatriots in 2004 received validation from tom ridge in his new book. you'll see the original piece from "countdown" in its entirety next hour. i can not recommend it highly enough. you should watch it. coming up on had show, we have an end of the week moment of geek vofrg bicycles and i think you're sort of not ready for the weekend until you see this video. we'll be right back. but first, one more thing about this success of cash for clunkers. our government got the idea for

the program from europe u similar programs had already been successful in france and germany and italy and spain. but now as our program winds down ahead of schedule here in the u.s. for reasons i don't understand, the idea is being picked up and adopted in chile. a financial newspaper reports today that the chilean government is going to be working with the country's automotive association to use a cash for clunkers style incentive program to encourage replacing heavy trucks that are more than 25 years old. if it works with big trucks, they hope to try it out with cars, too. so here's to the success of dinero clunkers, i guess?

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it is just past sunrise in afghanistan. 62,000 americans are waking up there to the prospect of another day in land lock central asia in this life during wartime. preliminary indications are that yesterday's presidential elections in afghanistan were successful, sort of. in the first post invasion presidential election in afghanistan back in 2004, voter turnout was really high, it was about 70%. now five years later, well, the taliban is resurgent and the taliban really didn't want these elections to go forward. and a major intimidation campaign that included bombings and shootings and even a public hanging by the taliban of two people who had ink stained fingers to prove that they had voted. initial reports are that turnout over all in afghanistan was down from that 70% figure in 2004 to roughly 40% or 50% this time. a western diplomat also told the press news service that the turnout in southern afghanistan was very, very low.

we won't know who won this election for a long time yet. the counting is not expected to be done for a couple of weeks. undaunted by the fact that counting is not done though, both incumbent president karzai and his top challenger are claiming victory. the u.s. government insist that's doesn't really care who wins. it just wants the afghan people to feel like they have a stake in their own government. that said, if karzai's top challenger does win, afghanistan would have the best named president in the whole world. his name would be president abdullah abdullah although i bet his enemies would call him abdullah hussein abdullah. right? thanks, you know we don't deliver anything like this. this crispy flatbread. mmmm. mmmmm! so delicious! are you like havin' a party or somethin'? ( slam ) hello? introducing the taste that's never been delivered. digiorno crispy flatbread pizza. for deliciously italian-inspired toppings on crispy flatbread crust,

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earlier this week we did a story about eurovision, the astonishing competition that each spring pits europeans against each other that makes "american idol" look like a local karaoke night. that doesn't mean americans aren't mesmerized by it anyway. we covered this many times. that has led to a minor obsession of some members of "the rachel maddow" staff. i'm talking to you, vanessa, that europeans and other foreigners are really, really

into that we americans just aren't. it's not just jerry lewis, speedos and national health care and unfiltered cigarettes and flunsy in more than one language. it's not just eurovision, wine at lunch and royalty and soccer, i mean, football. those are all things everybody knows about. things they do over there that we don't get over here. here's one that is news. at least it's news to me. this is artistic cycling. it's like synchronized swimming on bikes, best as i can tell. it's all the rage in germany and in a different bunch of asian countries, as well. why don't we do this? and in some cases, how do they do this? you know what? it's friday and you owe it to yourself to marvel at this for just a second, please.

♪ ♪ we are the world ♪ we are the children ♪ >> artistic cycling was invented by an american, apparently in

the late 1800s, a man named nicholas edward kauffman. with americans, this sport did not catch on, but with the germans, they love it. they call it kunsrod. obviously, these are fixed gear bikes with no brakes. the sport mandates the chain and sprocket are are together. as to how these guys support the weight of two full-grown men on the crotch of the bottom guy balanced on a thin piece of metal? for that, no matter how geeky we get, i have no idea of that one. that is your moment of crotch-clenching geek of this week. i don't care if the iraqis do have a team, we are not getting them outfits for this. with an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon.

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here now is my friend kent jones with a look back at the last seven days of lamitude. >> forecast is hot and humid with a 90% chance of lamitude. "the national review" levelled this devastating critique about obama, "sometimes he doesn't wear a tie." lately even in public appearances. that reminded me, i have no idea why, the iranian regime has shunned the necktie ever since khamenei pronounced it a symbol of western decadence. when bush didn't wear a tie, it

was here-man stuff, but with obama it's ahmadinejad. what kind of tie would you like obama to wear, something like this or this? would this make you feel better? while thinking it over, try this on. weak. next, mad campaign of the week. miller beer is introducing miller high life in vietnam. the new ad campaign, it's american time, it's miller time. don't you think vietnam already had plenty of american time already and might not want to be reminded? what is this, the beer hunter? mascot fail of the week. after melanie walker won the 400 meter hurdle, she hopped a ride on the back of the adorable mascot berlino, then this. klutz. weak. >> everybody okay there?

>> yeah. egos are bruised. >> seriously. it's hard to be a mascot. >> very hard. >> i won't tell you why i know that. thank you, kent. thank you for watching tonight. see you back here on monday. "countdown with keith olbermann" starts right now. have an excellent weekend. good night. which of these stories will you be talking about tomorrow? the majority leader in the house bails out on public option, but on passing the bill. he calls the option necessary, but we'll have to see because there are many other aspects of the bill, as well. this 24 hours after the speaker said reform will not pass without the public option. to paraphrase churchill, if this is the blessing of brilliant strategy in disguise, at the moment, it seems quite effectively disguised. republicans like senator kyl have a new idea if the democrats kill everything, they'll gladly support nothing. >> let's start over and you'll

have good solid republican support. >> the best advice to president obama comes from the chairman of the republican national committee? go it alone? >> don't come up in my face talking about i'm an obstacle and we are blocking this process. you got the votes, mr. president. pass the bill. >> factor republican hypocrisy. astroturf group on an ad berating president obama taking a week off. >> while president obama vacations, concerns mount about his health care plans. >> didn't your last guy spend literally 1/3 of his presidency on vacation? >> i call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killings. thank you. now watch this drive. >> other bush apologists rush to attack tom ridge on the eve of the '04 election, attorney general ashcroft and rumsfeld pushed ridge to